The MBIE ( Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) has been working through proposed changes to the Skilled Migrant Category for residency in New Zealand. With the emphasis on skills and qualifications the system looks to be getting harder for most workers.

Consultation with the Immigration industry and MBIE are hinting that the below changes may come into effect. Discussions include
    

• Introducing salary levels to help define skilled employment between $ $47,486 - $56,992 for a 40 hour week per annum
• The requirement for a relevant qualification AND recognised work experience as stated in the ANZSCO (generally a minimum of 3 years experience).
• A change to the point system and value of each category.

Under the proposed changes, skilled work experience and higher-level qualifications would be given greater preference in the points system. The points system may change giving greater points for experience and qualifications. Other points will be removed or reduced.

Source: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/immigration/consultations/consultation-proposed-changes-immigration-policy-october-2016

Under the current policy if you are able to claim a minimum of 160 points and meet all criteria our advice is to apply for residency through the Skilled Migrant Category as soon as possible in case a tougher policy comes into effect. Government policy is starting to lean towards restricting the amount of migration into New Zealand by targeting a higher quality of applicant. This means that people who may currently be eligible today may find themselves below the threshold if the proposed changes are applied.

To help plan for your future Easy Visa offer a 30 minute residency eligibility check during which we evaluate your situation, eligibility and calculate your current points.

Contact us for an appointment today.

If English is not your first language then depending on the visa you are applying for you may be required to provide evidence of your language ability to come and settle in New Zealand.

Originally Immigration required an overall score of 6.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in the skilled migrant category however the number of accepted test qualifications has now been expanded.
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There are now a selection of 5 different language qualifications that will accepted by Immigration to prove your ability across the four disciplines of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Below are links to each of the accepted qualifications and we strongly recommend trying out some of the test papers and making use of the preparation material on offer on to ensure that your language skills are at the required level.  

Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT)
https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/about

Occupational English Test (OET)
https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/immigration-new-zealand-accepts-oet-for-visa-purposes/

Cambridge English: First (FCE) and FCE for Schools
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/first-for-schools/

Pearson Test of English: Academic (PTE: Academic)
http://pearsonpte.com/

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
https://www.ielts.org/~/media/publications/information-for-candidates/ielts-information-for-candidates-2015-english-uk.ashx
https://www.ieltsessentials.com/global/prepare/freepracticetests
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For further information on testing requirements for specific visas give us a call today.